Why a VPN could be the security extra your business needs

Panda Security tells us how AI is set to shake up the security market

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With businesses being targeted by more security threats than ever before, the need for comprehensive protection is greater than ever. However just having an antivirus installed and making sure employees change password every few months won't cut it any more, as cybercriminals have evolved their methods to become far more advanced.

We spoke to Panda Security about how it hopes to stand out from the security crowd, and how the market is set to change significantly in the next few years.

A number of companies known for their antivirus products have either acquired other VPN companies or have beefed up their VPN offering. Why do you think that is the case and why has that trend been on the up? What has changed in the security landscape recently that might explain that trend?

One of the main goals in any tech industry is to adapt your product and/or service to unexpected market/environmental changes, and ensure the proper security measures are in place.

It is becoming apparent that VPN traction is beginning to take hold among the general public. While traditionally its use was more common in the business environment, the great versatility of these types of connections and their multiple uses make VPNs increasingly popular.

VPN technology enables you to send encrypted data over previously unencrypted networks. Besides providing you with private and secure Web browsing, VPNs such as Panda VPN provide many other important benefits. Compared to a web proxy, VPNs also offer much better security and privacy online.

As end users, we want to surf the net securely and privately, we want our identity and data protected at home, at work, in public environments and EVERYWHERE. No matter the feature, we want to be safe, and the industry is trying to offer that security to end users.

How is your approach to security and privacy different from the rest of the competition?

Unlike traditional solutions in the antivirus industry, which only work when a process is malicious, Panda Security has launched an intelligent technology based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence that monitors all applications running on systems, classifying and analyzing absolutely EVERYTHING. This technology, included in our solutions is based on:

- Protection against any kind of threat

Panda monitors, analyzes and classifies 100% of the processes executed by a user’s devices. We provide continuous and complete analysis of a device’s activity to determine the final classification of each running process as goodware and malware, closing the circle of detection with integrated remediation.

- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI allows us to significantly improve threat detection, shortening response times for defense. Machine learning allows us to analyze vast amounts of data and detect patterns of behavior. This way, the security system always learns and never forgets: the more data it collects, the smarter it is.

- Intelligent Malware Platform

Threats continue to find new ways to compromise our devices. Next generation malware uses more damaging and intelligent techniques to spread. That is why it is necessary to use state-of-the-art technology to combat it. Our advanced analytical capabilities allow us to offer active and effective protection against any type of threat.

How do you see security products and services evolve in the next few years?

The targets of predators have changed, their techniques have become more sophisticated, the input vectors have multiplied, and the tools are more specifically designed. Increasingly, attackers are carefully studying their victims in order to adapt their attack strategy and achieve the greatest possible impact. The economic objective is shared by more than half of the threats while espionage represents the second motivation of the attackers.

We are seeing that hidden attacks are becoming very common, we see an increase without malware. The creation of new tools to exploit vulnerabilities, as in the case of WannaCry, in the endpoint makes corporate networks more exposed. In addition, cyber-crime groups are increasingly organized without cyber-warfare. For all these reasons, we have to adapt our technologies and Machine Learning and all AI technologies are part of the key to preventing threats. Where humans fail, artificial intelligence algorithms are able to 'learn' the normal activities of a system and detect in real time an unusual process from any of its devices.

We are evolving towards completely new models that take into account new techniques and attack vectors, we are preparing to include new models of protection and remediation.